Baseball | 3/29/2013 7:46:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DANVILLE, Va. -- The Methodist baseball team scored six runs over the final two innings of a 10-9 win over Averett to earn a split of a doubleheader on Friday at Owen-Fulton Field.
 
The Cougars (21-12, 11-9 USA South) captured a 13-1 win in game one, before the Monarchs (14-16, 9-11 USA South) rallied from an 8-4 deficit to begin the eighth inning to earn the come-from-behind win.
 
Averett's Cody Moore scattered six hits over 8.0 innings in picking up the win in game one. He walked two and struck out four to even his record at 2-2. The Cougars struck for seven runs in the first inning, six of them coming with two outs, to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Cody Moore and Chatham Currie each had a pair of RBIs in the frame as Averett saw six consecutive batters reach base with two outs, including a pair of hit batsmen.
 
The Monarchs scored their lone run in the second inning when Tyler Younger scored from third base on a single to center by Ronnie Hatfield to make it 7-1. Averett then added a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings, before capping the scoring with two more tallies in the eighth inning.
 
Daniel Royer started for MU and lasted just 0.2 innings. He gave up seven runs on three hits, two walks and two hit batsmen with  a strikeout. Younger finished 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead MU at the plate and Hatfield was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.
 
Jordan Kidd and Kevin Alvarez each had three base hits for Averett and Cliff Hodges was 2-for-3 with three runs batted in and a run scored.
 
Game two was a sloppy affair, with a combined 10 errors committed by both teams and Averett unable to hold a four-run lead late in the game.
 
Methodist, which had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Chris Power singled, stole second, took third on a passed ball and eventually scored on a wild pitch, fell behind 5-1 after Averett struck for five runs in the second inning. Jimbo Newcomb had a two-run single in the inning.
 
Methodist pulled to within 5-2 in the fourth on Ray Lanners' RBI single, then cut its deficit to a single run (5-4) with two unearned runs in the sixth on one of the Cougars' five errors in the game. Averett appeared to gain control of the game when it scored three runs in the seventh to go up 8-4.
 
However, MU tied the game at 8-8 with four more runs in the top of the eighth inning. Younger and Stephen Nalls reached on back-to-back errors to lead off the inning and after a strikeout, Hatfield reached on a fielder's choice and Younger scored on another AU error on the play. David Lutz followed with an RBI single to make it 8-6 and Alex Rodriguez reached base on yet another AU error as Hatfield scored to pull the Monarchs to within one at 8-7.
 
Chris Power then tied the game at 8-8 with a sacrifice fly that scored pinch-runner Cody Molosky before Brandon Thigpen flied out to finally end the inning. Averett regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, 9-8, on Alvarez's solo home run to left.
 
The Monarchs rallied once again, striking for two runs in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Travis Johnson and the go-ahead sacrifice fly by Rodriguez to take a 10-9 lead.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Thigpen worked around a two-out single, getting Currie to fly out to end the game to earn his second save in as many appearances.
 
Michael Inman started for the Monarchs and did not factor in the decision after allowing eight runs (6 ER) on 15 hits and a walk with on strikeout in 6.2 innings. Johnson earned the win with 0.2 innings of perfect relief in the eighth inning. He struck out one.
 
Cody Beaver was saddled with the loss, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk in just 1.0 inning. Ben Florence started for Averett and surrendered four runs (1 ER) on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 5.2 innings.
 
Steven Kirby was 2-for-6 for the Monarchs and was on of 10 different players to record a base hit. Lanners finished 1-for-2 with a walk a run and an RBI, and Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Power added one hit in four at bats with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.
 
Newcomb finished 4-for-6 with three RBIs for the Cougars and Andrew Kirks was 3-for-5, scored twice and drove in one.
 
Methodist and Averett will play the rubber match of the three-game series tomorrow beginning at 1:00 pm.